Whats typical NICU time at 34 weeks?

Both my OB and Peri said that at 34 weeks, they would do nothing to stop labor. Can anyone tell me what the typical NICU time is around that point? I know there are probably many factors involved....but is there a basic estimate? I have always heard things like for every day in the womb...its equal to 3 NICU days...but at what week do you really assume they don't' need NICU? I totally understand that at 34 they probably will.

Any info would be helpful! Thanks!

 

Mine were 34 weekers .. one required 4 days of NICU .. the other .. none at all ! I think it will just depend on your twins ... I hope for the best for you !

 

I don't think you can ever really "assume" there is a time they won't need the NICU. I know most people don't expect any NICU time with full term babies and I never would have either. But I say that because while my two were in the NICU we saw many full term 8lb babies in the NICU and some were even worse off than my 3 lb babies.

I know that they say you can expect them home around their due date, but it can be sooner. Mine both came home at 35w. They have to be able to take all feeds by mouth (which is usually the thing that keeps them there longer), maintain their own body temperature and not have any bradycardia/apenea spells.

 

My 2 are 34 weekers (just shy but a couple of days) and I just had them 2 weeks ago. My daughter Charlotte came home after a 10 day stay but my son Parker is still there. He was an IUGR baby and born weighing only 2lbs 15oz - he luckily had no breathing issues, just needs to feed and grow. My daughter had no breathing problems either thankfully - it is only fair that I mention I had 2 rounds of steroid shots though so I know that helped.

I think it truly does depend on the twins themselves but from what the NICU doc has told me the most common for 34 weekers are feeding by bottle (my son's issue) and size...

Good luck and keep cooking!!

 

Ours had NONE and I was bang on 34 weeks.

 

Mine were born at 34 weeks 0 days and spent two weeks in the NICU. Their main issues were learning to feed, gaining weight and maintaining their body temperatures. From my experience, it seems like many babies go home around the 36 weeks mark.

 

I agree with pp. Every baby is different. My experience was at 35 weeks 4 days one spent maybe two hours being observed and that was it. they came home with strict rules to go back to the doc and lab for jaundice issues. they had billirubin lights at home for two days and then back to the doc for lab work again. they were getting over it so the lights got to come off. other than that that was the only issue. they were 5 lbs 7oz and 5lbs 9 oz. they both dropped their weights to 5lbs even and 5lbs 1 oz by our 1 week visit. the docs told me the same thing when I went in at 34 weeks for contractions. i was dilated to 3 cm for 8 days and had painful contractions the whole 8 days until my water broke finally. just be patient! i know its hard but you want them to cook as long as possible. it was so hard seeing my babies even on billirubin lights. you want them to be perfect in every way and have the best start in life. good luck . they will be here before you now it. then you will be so happy they came when they did!

 

My girls where 34.5

They came at 5lbs1oz and 5lbs3oz. Stayed 7 and 9 days (due to Bradys and 5ay brady watch for each). Had the girls came two days later they would have had NO NICU time. I think the stituation is different for each set of twins, and each baby.

 

My girls stayed for 2 weeks mostly just to learn to suck, maintain body temp and grow. But like others have said every baby is different. GL with the rest of your pg.

 

My girls were born at 33 weeks and 6 days. I did not have the steroid shots and Dani was home in an less than a week (I almost got the impression from the nurses if I had a section she would have been home the day I left the hospital but since I didn't she came home on Tuesday 6 days after she was born). They were born on a Wednesday. Sydney was having apnea issues and came home a week later so in the NICU for 2 weeks(on the monday so 12 days after she was born). She came home on caffeine medicine with an apnea monitor.

 

My niece & nephew were born right at 34 weeks and they were in the NICU for about 2 weeks. They did have the steroid shots before they were born... the PROM happened at 33 weeks but they were able to stall her labor. One needed breathing assistance, the other was tented but no cannula. The doctors initially predicted a short NICU stay but they were slow to progress in their feeding.

It really is unpredictable.

 

My LO's were born at 34w0d. They didn't spend any time in the NICU, only the Level 2 nursery as feeders/growers. They never needed supplemental oxygen, etc. They did great! I agree that any size/gestation of baby can end up in the NICU/Level 2 nursery. I saw a few full-term babies while we were there.

 

Mine were in NICU 4 days.

 

my girls were born at 34w1d & spent 13 days in the NICU mostly feeding & growing. Danika needed CPAP for about 18 hours & had some jaundice but after that it was smooth sailing.

 

My boys were born at 34w3d, and Ryan went home in 17 days - some brady/apnea issues, and the doctors said that was pretty typical for a 34-weeker. He never needed CPAP or nasal cannula. He was Baby B and the smaller twin.

Matthew was in for 34 days, and at the 34-day mark, he still wasn't feeding without having bradycardia (heart-rate drop issues). He just couldn't get the suck/swallow/breathe routine, which most babies master around 34 weeks. He was on CPAP for 5 days, nasal cannula for another 3 after that, and caffeine for several weeks. After 34 days, they sent him home with an apnea monitor, which he wore for 15 months. He was not at ALL typical for 34-weekers, per the NICU nurses and neonatologists.

We also learned from them that white males have the hardest time in NICU and are the slowest to "get it."

Both babies are healthy and typically developing at this point. As a previous poster said, all babies do differently and there's no easy way to predict how long a 34-weeker's NICU stay will be. Good luck!

 

34w5d here (we had the steroid shots a few weeks earlier during an early labor scare). Both boys (weighing in at 4.4 and 4.14) were in the NICU for 18 days as growers and feeders. They were very stable at birth and needed no oxygen, incubator, ventilator, nothing like that. They were just slow to pick up the very complicated suck-swallow-breathe routine.

 

QUOTE(JessiePlus2 @ Feb 28 2009, 06:50 PM) [snapback]1209544[/snapback]
Mine were born at 34 weeks 0 days and spent two weeks in the NICU. Their main issues were learning to feed, gaining weight and maintaining their body temperatures. From my experience, it seems like many babies go home around the 36 weeks mark.


Same here. Mine were 34 weeks 2 days and were in NICU for 6 days then special care for another week

 

ok, mine were 35wkrs...but NO time in Niccu! your doing great! I remember my doc telling me the same thing!!

 

mine were 34 w, 2 d and were in the NICU for 6 days...r/o Pneumonia...and low body temps...they were beasts however 5.1 and 5.2! hopefully you will get none! Good luck!